One of WITN's reporters was told by the town manager to leave orpolice may be involved.

WITN is investigating the matter. The town manager told WITN themeeting was private.

The meeting became a venue for more than 30 active members of the Belhaven fire department to express concerns over the new decision.

The decision was made by Mayor Adam O'Neal, which Derrick Myers says he didn't see coming.

Jimmy Davis was the fire chief for the Washington Fire Department until he was let go this summer.

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Belhaven's mayor says they have replaced their current fire chief because the department has refused to work with the town.

Tuesday morning the town announced that former Washington fire-rescue chief Jimmy Davis has been named chief.

Davis was let go this summer in Washington after being placed on paid leave for a month. No explanation was ever given as to why he was removed as fire chief.

In a news release, Belhaven Mayor Adam O'Neal says the town has made an effort to work with the fire department, "and continually been pushed away."

The news release says Davis will be paid $5,000 a month for a four-month period.

According to fire officials, Myers was paid $75 a month.

To read the entire news release, click on the link at the top of the story

O'Neal said the fire and rescue leadership had threatened to walk out over the location of the town's new fire station and they have said they will refuse to fight fires at certain properties in the town. The mayor said those are three story condos on Water Street.

O'Neal says town council voted to replace Chief Derrick Myers with Jimmy Davis.

WITN News is attempting to contact Myers about his dismissal and statements made by the mayor.

In March 2008, the town's police chief and the second in command were both fired. Afterward, most of Belhaven's police force left in protest.

That fired police chief, George Hayden, was later that year arrested on a murder charge from Onslow County that dated back to 1972.

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